NEAR KELOWNA – Last November, Pierre Cloutier left his home in Quebec to move to British Columbia in search of a new life, travelling by horse and covered wagon.
About 4000 kilometres later, he was on Highway 33 Thursday approaching Kelowna.
“I had dream as kid to be a cowboy and travel. I was at a dead end in Quebec. I wanted to realize my dream and here I am. I just did it,” says Cloutier.
A team of four Belgian draught horses is pulling the two covered wagons Cloutier built himself.
He says he doesn’t push the horses hard, travelling about five hours a day, and at least every fourth day is a rest day.
“Last week, I spent a whole week off because I figured they were tired a bit. They’re my kids. I don’t want them just for the trip. I’ll keep them for show after.”
Cloutier is amazed at the support he’s received along the way from complete strangers who provide food for him and the horses and a place to put up for the night.
“Before B.C., I slept five nights in the wagon. A lot of the time on the prairies, they put two kids in the same room to give me a free room. I’ve been treated like a king everywhere.”
Cloutier plans to put down roots in B.C. but doesn’t know when or where.
“I’ll stop when I get a feeling, where life takes me. I’m doing what they did 200 years ago, moving east to west, finding a new life.”
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